Drying and shaping form for hosiery and the like



July 26, W; BQQK ET L DRYING AND SHAPING FORM FOR HOSIERY AND THE LIKE Filed June 26, 1950 WITNESSES G a. M m %=M W -T& 29 a 1M Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILHELM BOOK, OF GWYNEDD, AND HOWARD W. MATTHEWS, OF LANSDALE, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO DEXDALE HOSIERY MILLS, OF LANSDALE, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA DRYING AND SHAPING FORM Application filed June 26,

This invention relates to forms useful in drying and shaping knitted articles such as hosiery and the like. More particularly, our invention has reference to drying forms of the kind disclosed in a co-pending application Serial No. 398,128 filed by Wilhelm Bock (one of the present applicants) on October 8, 1929.

The form of the identified application comprises a vertical profiled frame which serves to support the stocking incident to'drying and shaping, said frame having an opening forup and down guidance of a tensioning member that carries clamp members whereby it is detachably securable to the stocking; and a bifurcated actuating arm with fulcrum connection on the weighted tensioning memher, which arm is relied upon to press the clamp members inward against the portions of the stock ng overlying a slide plate con stituting a part of said weighted tensioning member.

In connection with a shaping, and drying form of the specific type referred to, we aim to make regulatable provisions whereby the free movement of the weighted tensioning member may be checked or restrained in. ac-

cordance with the tension which it is'desired' to maintain on the sto and shaping. 1

A further object of our invention is to enable utilization of the clamp members associated with the weighted tensioning member of the form to apply identification or design imprints upon the stockings incidentally to the shaping and drying operation. A further aim of our invention is to provide means in connection with the actuating arm for the clamp members of the form, whereby the pressure of said clamp members upon the stocking may be accurately regulated for the purposes of printing as aforesaid and/or to prevent. marring of the en gaged portions of the stocking fabric. 7

Still other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed description following the attached drawing, wherein Fig. I is an elevation of a hosiery form conveniently embodying the present improvements.

cking during drying FOR HOSIERY AND THE LIKE 1930. Serial No. 463,902.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the form drawn to a larger scale and taken as indicated by the arrows IIII in Fig. I. p

Fig'III is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows III-III in Fig. I.

Fig. IV isa fragmentary detail view of the regulatable means 'for checking or restraining the free movement of the weighted tensioning member of the form and Fig. V shows a slight modification of our invention.

With more detailed reference to these i1- lustrations, the numeral 10 designates comprehensively a skeleton frame which is suitably profiled to shape stockings mounted over it; while the weighted tensioning member is indicated at '11 and the actuating arm for the clamp members 12, 13 of said tensioning member at 14. A plate constituting a part of the weighted tensioning member 11 and having a thickness corresponding to that of the profiled frame 10, occupies an opening 10' near the bottom of said frame. The vertical edges ofthe plate 15 are grooved to engage the upright bars 10a of the profiled frame 10 for retainment of the weighted tensioning member 11 and guidance thereof to up and down movement relative to said frame. The clamp members 12, 13 are hingedly connected to opposite faces of the plate 15 at 16. and springs 17 associated with the hinge junctures tend to swing said clamp members outwardly away from the plate 15, thereby to facilitate application of the tensioning member 11 to the stocking whereof a portion is indicated at S in Fig. II. With theclamp members 12. 13 in closed position as in Fig. II. separately attached jaw pieces 18, 19 press the fabric around the openen'd of the invertedly mounted stocking S against opposite faces of the plate 15, and thereby serve to detachably secure the weighted tensioning member 11 to said stocking for support thereby in suspension. The actuating arm 14 is bifurcated. and fulcrumed on a stud 20 let into the plate 15. From Fig. II it will be observed that the extremities 21, 22 of the actuating arm 14 reach to opposite sidesof the form, and said arms are adapted 1 to swing across counter-inclined cam surfaces 23, 24 on the clamp members 12, 13. WVhen intended for use in connection with an automatic drying machine, the form is fitted with rollers 25, 26 for guidance along a horizontal track 27, and moreover provided with a depending lug 28 to engage a progressing sprocket chain 29all as shown in Figs. I and II. Also for the purposes of automatic actuation, the plate 15 of the tensioning member 11 is fitted at opposite sides with rollers 30, 31 designed to be acted upon by a suitable cam (not shown) of the drying machine along the track 27.

Coming now to the means whereby the advantages hereinbefore pointed out are attained, we provide means for checking or restraining the free movement of the weighted tensioning member 11 under the influence of gravity. These means are indicated at 32 in Figs. I-IV, each such means comprising a pair of pads 33, 34 made from rubber, leather or the like to frictionally engage opposite sides of the upright bars 10a of the profiled frame member 10 of the form. As shown in Fig. III. both these pads 33, 34 are carried by the slide plate 15 of the weighted tensioning member 11. In order that the effect of the weighted tensioning member 11 may be varied in accordance with the tension which it is desired to impart and maintain in the stocking S undergoing drying and shaping, one of the pads 33, 34-in this instance the pad 34is yieldingly held in contact with one of the profiled frame upright bars 10a by a spring 35 whereof the tension is adjustable. Still referring to Fig. III, the spring 35 occupies the hollow shank of a regulating screw 36, which latter affords sliding guidance for a stem 37 whereto the pad 34 is attached. A flexible finger 38 secured to the plate 15 and engageable with peripheral notches of an index head 39 at the outer end of the screw 36, serves to maintain the adjustment of the spring 35. If desired or found expedient in practice, the pad 33 may, of course, be made independently adjustable in a like manner. 7

For the purposes of identification of the stockings S, we emboss the inner face of the jaw piece 18 associated with the clamp 23 of the weighted member, as at 40 in Fig. II,

for capacity to impress a suitable svmbol or mark, such as indicated at 41 in Fig. I. Here again, if desired, the jaw piece 19 as sociated with the clamp member 13 may be utilized for a like purpose.

Ordinarily, both the extremities 21, 22 of the actuatingarm 14 cooperate directly with the inclined cam faces 23, 24 of the clamp members 12, 13 to close the latterin upon the stocking S on the form 10 in opposition to the sprin s 17. Slight inaccuracies of the clamp parts 12, 13 sometimes resulted heretofore in the impartation of excessive pressure with attendant marring of the stockings S. This drawback we overcome by providing one or both extremities 21, 22 of the actuating arm 14 with adjustable engagement members to coact with the cam surfaces 23, 24 of the clamp members 12, 13. In the present instance we have associated one such adjustable engagement member with the extremity 21 of the actuating arm 14 only. As best shown in Fig. II, the aforementioned engagement member has the form of a screw 42 with a head to contact with the inclined cam surface 23 of the clamp member 12, said screw being threadedly engaged in the extremity 21 and fitted with a nut 43 for fixing the adj ustment. This adjustable provision is particularly advantageous in connection with the clamp member whereof the aw is utilized as an impression member to predetermine a sharp legible imprint on the stocking S.

Fig. V shows a slight modification of the feature just explained. In this instance the screw 42a is axially slidable in the end of the extremity 21a of the clamp actuating arm and subject to the pressure of a helical spring 45. By means of the nut 43a engaging the protruding outer threaded end of the screw 42a the effect of the spring 45 may be varied as required for obtainment of the desired pressure upon the clamp member 12a. All

other corresponding parts of the form shown in Fig. V are identified with the same reference numerals previously employed with addition of the subscript a.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means for detachably securing the weighted tensioning member to a stocking mounted on the form; and adjustable means for frictionally-restraining the free movement of the weighted member in accordance with the tension desired in the stocking.

2. In a form for hosiery and the'like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means for detachably securing the weighted tensioning member to a stocking mounted on the form; a pad carried by the weighted member for frictionally engaging the frame member, thereby to restrain free movement of said weighted member in accordance with the tension desired in the stocking; and means whereby the frictional pressure of the pad against the frame member may be adjusted.

3. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means for detachably securing the weighted tensioning member to a stocking mounted on the form; and means carried by the Weighted tensioning member to check its free movement on the profiled frame including a pad to frictionally engage the frame member; a spring operative upon the pad, and means for adjusting the pressure of the spring in accordance with the tension desired in the stocking.

4. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means for detachably securing the weighted member to a stocking mounted on the form; and means on the weighted tensioning memberv for checking its free movement including a pad to frictionally engage the frame member, a spring operative upon the pad, and a screw engaged with the weighted tensioning member for regulating the pressure of the spring aforesaid in accordance with the tension desired in the stocking. v

5. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means for detachably securing the weighted tensioning member to a stocking mounted on the frame member; and means for checking free movement of the tensioning member including a positiona-lly fixed pad on said tensioning member to engage one side of the profiled frame member and another pad adjustable on the tensioning member to engage the other side of the profiled frame member for the purpose of checking the free movement of said weighted tensioning member in accordance with the tension desired in the stocking.

6. In a form for hosiery and the like, a profiled vertical frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down on the frame member; means in the form of clamps at opposite sides of the weighted tensioning member with associated actuator mechanism for detachably securing said tensioning memberto a stocking mounted on the form; and a symbol or mark on one of said clamps to apply an identification imprint upon the stocking. V

7. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down relative to the profiled frame member; clamp members on opposite sides of said weighted tensioning member for detachably securing the latter to a stocking mounted on the form; a bifurcated actuating arm with pivotal connection on the weighted tensioning member and having its extremities reaching to opposite sides of the form; and an engagement member adjustable in one of the extremities of said actuating arm to cooperate with a cam surface on one of the clamp members, thereby to press said; clamp members into rfzontact with the stocking mounted on the orm.

8. In a form for hosier and the like, a vertical profiled frame mem er; a wei hted tensioning member slidable up and own in a guide opening of the profiled frame member; clamp members pivoted to opposite sides of said weighted tensioning member for detachably securing the latter to a stocking mounted on the form; a bifurcated actuating arm with pivotal connection on the weighted tensioning member and having its extremities reaching to opposite sides of the form; and a yieldable engaging member on one of the extremities of the actuating arm to cooperate with a cam surface on the adjoining clamp member, thereby to press said clamp members into engagement with the stocking mounted on the form.

9. In a form for hosiery and the like, a vertical profiled frame member; a weighted tensioning member slidable up and down relative ,to the frame member; clamp members at opposite sides of the Weighted tensioning member for detachably securing the latter to a stocking mounted on the form; and a bifurcated actuating arm with pivotal connection on the weighted tensioning member and having arms reaching to opposite sides of the form to cooperate with cam surfaces on the clamp members in pressing them against the stocking, one of said arms carrying in its end an adjustable spring influenced engagement member to contact with the cam surface of the corresponding clamp member.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at Lansdale, Pennsylvania, this 25th day of June, 1980.

WILHELM BOOK. 'HOWARD W. MATTHEWS. 

